


unprofessional conduct

by 3amtrain



Category: Naruto
Genre: F/F
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-01
Updated: 2019-01-01
Packaged: 2019-10-01 06:09:10
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,326
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17238833
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/3amtrain/pseuds/3amtrain
Summary: Everyone and their mother thinks Temari's interested in Shikamaru Nara.





	unprofessional conduct

**Author's Note:**

> written for the naruto year end bash for this old prompt: “Everyone thinks Temari’s taking so many diplomatic missions to Konoha to see Shikamaru Nara, but she always lingers around the hospital instead.”
> 
> enjoy!!!!

It was nearing the end of Sakura’s shift when one of the kids out front stuck his head in her office and told her somebody was outside for her.

That was all he said. Somebody.

She discarded her coat and shook her hair out of its ponytail. She rolled her shoulders. In her dead computer screen, she checked her reflection, smoothing a couple fly-aways, and then she clocked out and marched out of the front door.

It turned out she’d guessed correctly. Her “somebody” was leaned up against the wall, a casual hand steadying the fan at her side. Temari. Business-like and aggressively pretty in her long black kimono.

Sakura folded her arms. “Well, hello.”

Temari gave her a smirk. It was almost pleasant. “Hey,” she said.

“You’re back, huh? Did a cat get stuck up a tree again?”

She snorted. “Nope.”

“Helping a grandma with her groceries?”

“It’s good to respect the elderly.”

Sakura shook her head, trying not to smile.

“I was supervising some Sand kids’ field trip,” Temari said, and watched as Sakura lost the fight with herself and broke out into giggles. “They were really scared of me. It was pretty fun. Anyway, shall we?”

She jerked her thumb in the direction of their usual place.

“Oh! Yeah, I’m starving. Oh, but—” She reached for Temari’s hand. “It’s your turn to pay.”

That was allowed, right? She glanced at Temari.

Temari turned away, embarrassed.

“Yeah, yeah,” she said, squeezing Sakura’s hand in hers.

***

At first, it had been easier to misunderstand what was happening. It started off ordinarily enough: Temari visited their village for the serious business, Chunin exams and political meetings and diplomatic dinners and the like. Sakura saw her often, since she was Tsunade’s apprentice and Temari was in the Hokage’s office all the time. They worked together sometimes, too. 

And then Temari started to hang around the hospital. Then she asked Sakura out on a date, and Sakura said yes.

And then she asked her on another one.

And then, one time, when it was night, and they were sitting together by the lake, watching it ripple quietly with stars, Temari leaned in and told her she was beautiful.

It was pretty much over for Sakura by then. The whole thing was like something from a dream.

***

“By the way,” Temari said, planting her elbows on the table. They sat opposite each other, under a buzzing lamp that flickered against the gathering gloom. “I saw Naruto on the way here.”

“Naruto?”

“He told me good luck.” She raised her eyebrow. “With Shikamaru.”

“Ah.” Sakura put her chopsticks down. “Yeah. He thinks that…um…you and Shikamaru…”

“Are going out?”

“Are going out,” she confirmed. She shook her head. “I tried to tell him different but he just kept winking at me. I don’t think he knows about gay people.”

“ _Naruto_ doesn’t know about gay people?”

“I know.” She bit her lip. “Actually, Tsunade thinks you’re going out with him, too. Or at least that you like him.”

Temari blinked.

She didn’t say this part, but Tsunade had also told her she was so sure she’d put good money on it. _Those two_ , she’d said. _They’re always together._

Sakura continued, “And…honestly, I think almost everybody…including Shikamaru…thinks…that…”

“You’re kidding. When have I ever looked twice at that worm?”

_Holy shit_ , Sakura thought. _She called him a worm._

“Well, you work together a lot,” she pointed out. “Sometimes that’s all it takes.”

“Interesting. People must assume my standards are quite low.”

Sakura snorted, then slapped a hand over her mouth.

"Honestly," Temari said, leaning her cheek against her fist. It sounded like it was mostly to herself.

The lamp flickered again. Her face was usually so prickly and beautiful, but tonight it was soft in the lamp glow. Sakura was deeply distracted by its invitingness. It was true Temari didn’t intimidate her like she did other people…but still, sometimes she did feel untouchable. Unkissable.

They hadn’t kissed on the mouth yet. Sakura had no idea if that was normal or not. Okay, maybe she _was_ a little intimidated.

Temari glanced at her and Sakura blushed, picking up her chopsticks.

Matters of the heart, as Tsunade liked to say, were quite difficult.

***

Temari walked her home. The sun had set but the air was still summer-warm, and it felt wonderful. Their hands brushed slightly with every step.

At her door, Temari paused, leaning against the frame as Sakura rummaged for her key.

“I’m leaving tomorrow,” Temari said.

Her stomach sank. “Oh?” she said, carefully extracting her key.

“Yeah.” She crossed her arms. “I’ll report to Tsunade in the morning, and then I’m going back. Business to attend to.”

“Ah,” Sakura said. “Duty calls, huh?”

“It’ll probably be a few months.”

“That’s a while.”

_I’ll miss you_ , she thought, but didn’t say. It was probably a little mushy.

Sakura tilted her chin up to look Temari in the eye. Again her face distracted her. During meetings and debriefings, Temari always had this little serious furrow between her brows, but it was gone now. The slight smirk on her lips lured Sakura in. Soft but dangerous.

The second she made her decision, Sakura's heart started pounding.

Well, she wasn’t a coward, was she?

Not at all. Who said that?

It was dark, which made it easier. Less light to be embarrassed by. Sakura leaned up and kissed Temari on the mouth, and Temari steadied her by the waist, kissing back.

It went by as quick as a flash and burned as hot as a firework. Sakura pulled away, triumphant and flushed, her pulse clattering up a racket. Temari's hands were still warm around her waist.

Sakura blurted, “Well, I’ll see you soon!”

The streetlights glinted faintly off Temari’s smile. “Yeah.”

Making her grand escape, Sakura clawed her front door open and scurried indoors. As soon as the door slammed shut behind her, she punched the air as hard as she could.

_I did it!_ she thought madly. _I fucking did it!_

She did it.

***

Bright and early the next morning, Sakura joined Tsunade and Temari for her diplomatic report.

Generally, she tried to pay attention to even the most mundane D-rank debriefing, but as Temari delivered her report with that customary furrow between her brow, all she could think was, _Wow, I kissed her._

Feared by children and enemy Shinobi alike, the cruel temptress of the Sand… And Sakura had kissed her.

And she liked Sakura. And Sakura liked her back.

And also she was pretty, so Sakura was looking because of that, too. But that was a given.

“Well,” Temari said as she concluded her report. “I’ll take my leave, then.”

She nodded to the Hokage and turned to Sakura, who smiled, expecting a nod as well. Instead Temari grabbed her by the waist and dipped her.

Sakura saw this coming, obviously, with her ninja eyes, but still she blushed powerfully and clutched at her, off-balance. Temari winked. And then she kissed Sakura, quite passionately, with a small but undeniable amount of tongue. 

Tsunade paused in the middle of shuffling some papers.

She kissed the soul out of her and then she pulled away, setting Sakura upright.

“Later,” she said, patting Sakura’s cheek.

She exited, leaving master and apprentice alone with each other. Sakura touched her mouth, still a little light-headed. The fan whirred in the quiet. Tsunade delicately put down the papers she was holding.

“This... is a surprise,” she said. “Well… Huh. What should I say." She pointed at Sakura. "Don’t let this distract you from your job. You’re still my apprentice.”

Sakura blinked, too far gone to apologize for her shocking unprofessionalism, and just nodded.

“Don’t get your heart broken, either,” she added, jabbing her finger.

“Uh...yes, ma’am.”

Tsunade looked at her a moment longer and then shook her head, turning to rummage through a desk drawer. "In my office?" she muttered. "In _my_ office?"

**Author's Note:**

> thanks for reading :P


End file.
